1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an outdoor cooking apparatus, such as a grill or a barbeque. Specifically, the invention is directed to an outdoor cooking apparatus that may be substantially enclosed when not in use so as to restrict access to an interior of the apparatus by the elements, thereby minimizing maintenance and increasing its useful life. The substantial enclosure also serves to restrict access and entry of insects, small animals, and other pests or vermin into the outdoor cooking apparatus, thereby minimizing potential operational and health related hazards. The present invention further relates to an enclosure for an existing outdoor cooking device in both an operative orientation as well as a substantially enclosed stored orientation.
2. Description of the Related Art
The art of outdoor cooking has been practiced since prehistoric man discovered the means to harness fire for such useful purposes. Unlike prehistoric man, people today have a wide variety of choices when it comes to selecting an outdoor cooking device. The simplest of these devices consists of no more than a base for holding charcoal, or another combustible fuel source, to provide the heat and/or flame to cook over, and an overlying grate on which to place the food being cooked. Such devices may also include a lid or cover to at least partially protect the interior of the device from the elements, such as rain, sleet, and/or snow.
Often times the lid or cover of such a device may also serve as a support for a spit or rotisserie rod, which normally extends through an opening in at least one side of the lid so that it may be rotated, thereby allowing the food attached to be rotated over the heat and/or flame while the lid or cover remains closed. The lid or cover may also include one or more ventilation opening therethrough. In addition, such devices typically include one or more openings through the base portion to permit the release of grease generated from the food being cooked, as well as for the ease of removal of the ashes from the consumed fuel source.
In more recent times, outdoor cooking devices utilizing liquid or gaseous fuels, such as propane or butane, as well as several models utilizing an electric heating means, have dominated the market. In addition to having openings for a rotisserie rod, which may include a motor to achieve continuous, unattended rotation of the food attached thereto, and grease, clean out, and ventilation openings, as described above, these devices often include several additional openings through the housing, such as are required to supply the natural gas or electricity required, as well as to at least partially support one or more cooking racks with the lid of the device.
As such, even the most modern of these devices include a plurality of openings through to their interior, such that the elements including, for example, rain, wind, dust, sleet, and/or snow may easily enter the interior of the device. Among the problems associated with the elements include premature rusting of the device, as they are typically constructed of some form of metal, and damage to any combustible, heating and/or flavoring materials enclosed within the device. In addition, excessive dust entering the interior of the device may result in clogging of the fuel lines and/or burners on natural gas burning devices, thus creating a potentially serious safety hazard. The negative impact of the elements on such an outdoor cooking device are well known, and are evidenced by the fact that most manufacturers of these devices offer an external fabric cover to be placed over at least the upper portion of the device while it is not in use.
Besides the deleterious effects of the elements, insects, or other pests may access the interior of an outdoor cooking the device through such openings, creating an additional set of potential problems, such as by nesting therein. Spiders have been known to enter and clog the fuel lines and/or burners of natural gas burning devices, and flying pests such as wasps and hornets have been known to build nests in such devices, and have provided more than one user with an unpleasant surprise upon attempting to use the device.
In addition to insects, small animals such as lizards and snakes may access the interior of the device, and be in advertently cooked along with the selected food, which, although not likely to present serious health issues, certainly may ruin a person""s appetite upon discovery of the unwanted additions to the menu. More importantly, disease carrying vermin, such as cockroaches, rats, or other small rodents, may also access the interior of the outdoor cooking device, thereby presenting real and potentially serious health hazards by transmitting diseases to the cooking surfaces of the device.
As such, it would be beneficial to provide an outdoor cooking apparatus that may be substantially enclosed when not in service so as to restrict access to its interior by the elements or any of the insects, small animals, or vermin noted above. It would be preferable if such an outdoor cooking apparatus is able to utilize natural gas, electricity, charcoal, or any other common fuel source. It would also be helpful to provide an enclosure for an existing outdoor cooking device, such that an owner of an existing device is not required to replace an otherwise satisfactorily functioning outdoor cooking device to which they are accustomed, yet still enjoy the benefits of substantially enclosing the device while it is not in service.
The present invention is directed to an outdoor cooking apparatus that may be substantially enclosed when not in service. In particular, the invention comprises a base having a lid movably mounted thereto, the lid being disposable between an open configuration and a closed configuration. A main seal is disposed along a main interface of the base and the lid of the outdoor cooking apparatus, and is preferably continuously disposed therebetween. The apparatus is structured such that the closed configuration of the lid is at least partially defined by the lid being disposed in a substantially enclosing relation to an upper portion of the base along the main seal. The substantially enclosing relation is such that access to an interior of the apparatus by the elements and/or unwanted pests is restricted.
The apparatus of the present invention also includes a plurality of ports formed therethrough in communicating relation to its interior, such as are commonly required for ventilation, rotisserie assemblies, heating assemblies, as well as various clean out ports, for example, to facilitate removal of grease and/or ash generated through operation of the apparatus. In order to provide for an apparatus which is substantially enclosed while not in service, the present invention includes a port seal assembly structured and disposed in a sealing engagement with at least some of the plurality of ports. This sealing engagement is also structured so as to restrict access to the interior of the apparatus by the elements and/or any of the various pests indicated above. More specifically, the main seal and the port seal assembly are structured to restrict access to the interior of the apparatus while the lid is disposed in the closed configuration and the port seal assembly is disposed in sealing engagement with at least some of the plurality of ports.
In at least one embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention also includes a skirt disposed in an at least partially overlying relation to a lower portion of the base. This embodiment also includes a skirt cover structured to engage the skirt and being disposable between an operable configuration and a storage configuration. In particular, the storage configuration is defined by the skirt and the skirt cover being structured to further restrict access to the lower portion of the base while the skirt cover is disposed in the storage configuration.
The present invention is also directed to an enclosure for an existing outdoor cooking device. Specifically, the present invention provides for a housing structured to cooperatively engage the existing outdoor cooking device in an at least partially enclosing relation. The housing includes at least one door disposable between an open position and a closed position. The housing also includes a doorway seal disposed along a doorway interface between the housing and the door. At least one embodiment provides for a plurality of doors, each disposable between the open position and the closed position.
The enclosure also includes a housing cover structured to engage the housing, the housing cover being disposable between an operable position and a storage position. A housing seal is provided and is disposed along a housing interface between the housing and the housing cover. The housing seal is structured such that the enclosure is substantially sealed when the doors are disposed in the closed position and the housing cover is disposed in the storage position.
Additionally, this embodiment provides for an adjustable support mechanism disposed within the housing, the adjustable support mechanism being structured to support the outdoor cooking device in an operative orientation. Further, the present embodiment includes a lift mechanism interconnected to the adjustable support mechanism which is structured to selectively raise and lower the support mechanism and the outdoor cooking device, while disposed within the housing.
In this embodiment, the outdoor cooking device is substantially enclosed within the housing while the door or doors are disposed in the closed position, and the housing cover is disposed in the storage position. Specifically, the housing is structured to substantially enclose an existing outdoor cooking assembly so as to restrict access to an interior of the device by the elements and/or various pests, including, by way of example only, those identified above.